NYS Music 20​18

Category: Rock

  • Hearing Aide: Waydown Wailers ‘Backland Blues’

    Canton, NY  based electric blues outfit Waydown Wailers have released Backland Blues, their third album released on Woodstock Records.  The band, which was formed in 2011, is composed of brothers David Parker (vocals, guitar) and Christian Parker (rhythm & lead guitar), as well as Connor Pelkey (bass, backing vocals) , and Mike Scriminger (drums).Waydown Wailers Backland Blues

    Backland Blues is Waydown Wailers‘ third release and was produced by Aaron Hurwitz aka Professor Louie on the  Woodstock Records label.  Hurwitz who was given the moniker “Professor Louie” by Rick Denko of The Band, plays Hammond Organ on multiple tunes on the record including No Mercy,” the fifth track. The song also features some excellent guitar work by Parker and illustrates why this band has garnered so much attention by music critics in the U.S. and Europe as an outstanding electric blues outfit.  Another highlight of the album is “Another Bump In The Road” which feels more like an electrified Country and Western Tune.

    The band also included two covers on Backland Blues, “Dizzy Miss Lizzy” (Made famous by the Beatles and Elmore James’ “Done Somebody Wrong.” The band did a superb job covering these vintage tunes and it was probably a calculated gamble that paid off handsomely for a band that has a large following in the United Kingdom.  My personal favorite track on the album is “I Want Your Soul,” which is a tight little rocking number that demonstrates how well the boys play together as a band.  The tune also features a nice hard rocking tone with great slide guitar.

    The Waydown Wailers will be supporting the new album this summer, with their next date slated for Friday, August 23 at the Concert in the Park series held in Massena, New York.

    Key Tracks:  Back Door Woman, I Want Your Soul, No Mercy

  • Aqueous Announces Most Extensive Headlining Tour to Date

    Aqueous just announced their most extensive headlining tour to date. The tour starts this September, ends in December, and will hit 27 cities.

    Photo courtesy of Aqueous’s press release.

    Aqueous is a Buffalo-based groove-rock quartet and has three studio albums under their belt. They have a reputation for their improvisational skills and are considered one of the most promising improvisational rock acts in the country.

    During their tour Aqueous will be receiving support from the likes of Mungion, ELM, The Heavy Pets, EGI and Goose. They will be stopping in five New York cities: Buffalo, Sherman, Utica, Albany, and Brooklyn. The Buffalo, Sherman, and Utica stops are technically before the tour starts but are part of Aqueous’ already existing shows.

    The band is made up of guitarist Mike Gantzer, guitarist/keyboardist David Loss, bassist Evan McPhaden, and drummer Rob Houk. Tickets are on sale this coming Friday, July 20th at 10 AM ET.

    To purchase tickets or for more information on specific dates, please head to the band’s website.

    Tour date listed bellow:

    July 21 – The Peach Music Festival – Scranton, PA
    July 27 & 28 – Cobblestone Live – Buffalo, NY
    Aug. 23 – Night Lights Music Festival – Sherman, NY
    Sept. 7 – Saranac Brewery – Utica, NY **
    Sept. 20 – Resonance Music and Arts Festival – Thornville, OH
    Sept. 21 – Rex Theater – Pittsburgh, PA *
    Oct. 24 – Space Ballroom – Hamden, CT ^
    Oct. 25 – Higher Ground Showcase Lounge – South Burlington, VT ^
    Oct. 26 – The Sinclair – Cambridge, MA ^
    Oct. 27 – The Hollow – Albany, NY ^
    Oct. 31 – Knitting Factory – Brooklyn, NY ^
    Nov. 1 – Wionder Bar – Asbury Park, NJ ^
    Nov. 2 – Union Stage – Washington D.C.^
    Nov. 3 – The Foundry at the Fillmore – Philadelphia, PA ^
    Nov. 4 – The Broadberry – Richmond, VA #
    Nov. 6 – The Pour House Music Hall – Raleigh, NC #
    Nov. 7 – Charleston Pour House – Charleston, SC #
    Nov. 8 – The Social – Orlando, FL #
    Nov. 9 – Jack Rabbits – Jacksonville, FL #
    Nov. 10 – The Crowbar – Tampa, FL #
    Nov. 14 – Zydeco – Birmingham, AL #
    Nov. 15 – Aisle 5 – Atlanta, GA #
    Nov. 16 – Asheville Music Hall – Asheville, NC #
    Nov. 17 – Exit In – Nashville, TN #
    Nov. 28 – Blind Pig – Ann Arbor, MI +
    Nov. 29 – Chop Shop – Chicago, IL
    Nov. 30 – The Miramar Theatre – Milwaukee, WI +
    Dec. 5 – Hodi’s Halfnote – Ft. Collins, CO ^
    Dec. 7 – Old Town Pub – Steamboat Springs, CO ^
    Dec. 8 – Fox Theatre – Boulder, CO ^
    Dec. 11 – The Waiting Room – Omaha, NE $
    Dec. 12 – The Bootleg at Atomic Cowboy – St. Louis, MO $
    Dec. 13 – The Hi-Fi – Indianapolis, IN $

    ** w/ moe.
    * w/ ELM
    ^ w/ Mungion
    # w/ The Heavy Pets
    + w/ EGI
    $ w/ Goose

  • John Butler Trio: An Aussie Family Affair At The Egg

    The John Butler Trio and special guest Mama Kin Spender performed at Albany’s The Egg Performing Arts Center on Thursday, July 12 to a packed house of enthusiastic fans. The two Australian-based bands have a very special connection – their lead members are married to one another. JBT’s front man and namesake John Butler and Danielle Caruana, who performs as Mama Kin in the folk duo Mama Kin Spender, have been married since 1999.  The couple have two children together: a daughter, Banjo, and a son, Jahli,  who are currently joining their parents on the North American leg of their tour.John Butler TrioButler was born in Los Angeles, California and moved to Australia with his family when he was 16. He started his musical career as a “Busking” street musician and, with hard work and determination, has created 10 albums to date and started his own record label called Jarrah Records. The current lineup of JBT has been expanded to a quintet whose members include John Butler (guitar, banjo, lap steel,vocals), Byron Luiters (bass, vocals), Grant (G-Money) Gerathy (drums, vocals), Lozz Benson (percussion, vocals), and Ben Corbett (keyboard, vocals). The John Butler Trio has won multiple music industry awards in Australia since its creation back in 1998 and they have been successful in leveraging that success into serving the community by supporting a variety of non-profit causes that are close to the band.

    The night started out with Mama Kin Spender taking the stage and performing “Cold Roof Top” off of their 2017 release Golden Magnetic.  Tommy Spender played acoustic guitar while Mama Kin played drums as they performed the selection.  The song is a love cry from a forlorn lover who is calling out the name of the object of their desire off a snowy city rooftop. The raw and sparse performance was a great start to their performance. Next up was “Dotted Line,” a protest march anthem that supports the rights of people to have same sex marriages.  Spender explained that in Australia, much like in the US, the government was slow to make same sex marriages legal, but that it has now become a legal right to all of its citizens. They also commented on stage that the highly energetic number which needs to be forcefully belted out was a great way for the duo to get there “cardio” in during the show.  Next up was the rockabilly number “Bird In Your Tree” which could have been a hit cut at Memphis’ famed Sun Studios back in the ’50s and featured some great guitar work by Spender.


    A high point of the performance was when Mama Kin introduced the hypnotic tune “Underground.” Kin explained to the audience that the song was inspired by a special fungus named mycelium that acts as a caretaker of the forest by creating a “wood wide web” that interconnects the roots of a large number and variety of plants; something that Kin feels that as humans we need to work harder at emulating. The duo also performed a personal favorite of Spender’s, a cover of the country-western classic “Long Black Veil” that was executed superbly. The duo finished their opening set playing “Air Between Us” and priming the audience for the arrival of JBT.

    After a brief break it was time for the main event as The John Butler Trio started strong with “Wade In The Water.”  Benson and Corbett started off the number with percussion leading the band into the new number.  During the introduction of the tune, Butler explained to the audience that where they come from it is tradition, while visiting someone else’s territory, to acknowledge the traditional indigenous custodians of the land.  Wherever they travel the band shows them respect and to all of the ancestors whose shoulders we stand on.

    John Butler TrioButler then rocked the lap steel and along with the band, created a primal soundscape that set the mood for the remainder of the performance.  Next up, Butler switched over to the banjo and went into the pop friendly “Better Than That” off of 2007’s Grand National.  Songs like “Pick Apart,” off of 2012’s Tin Shed Tales, illustrate the cohesiveness of the band and featured first-class solos by both G-Money on drums and Luiters on bass.

    John Butler TrioButler is intimate with the audience on stage and describes his live performances as his own type of therapy.  Whether it is relating stories of his father’s personal struggles after being injured in a fire and then expressing those feelings into a newly crafted song “Coffee, Methadone, & Cigarettes” or the telling of the story of a chance meeting of a girl in western Australia during a road trip that ends up being the woman he would fall in love with and marry, while introducing JBT’s love song “Betterman“.  Butler lets the audience into his world creating an intimate bond with his fans that is palpable in the theater during the performance.

    John Butler TrioButler’s guitar work is also something to see showing a versatility in playing many different types of music like Celtic, Folk, Hard Rock and Reggae.  That musical prowess was on full display as, alone on stage, Butler strapped on his 11-string acoustic guitar and played the JBT classic “Oceans.” The intensity of the performance was electric and left the audience on their feet wanting more.
    John Butler TrioThe first encore brought Mama Kin back on stage joining Butler.  The couple sang “Losing You” as a duo, which was perhaps the cutest part of the night, with the spouses riffing off one another during the selection. The band closed the night with a shout out to their road crew and then went straight into a funkalicious version of “Zebra” that got the crowd dancing one more time before the house lights came up. The John Butler Trio will continue to tour throughout the summer with dates across North America.

    Setlists

    Mama Kin Spender: Cold Roof Top, Dotted Line, Bird In Your Tree, Underground, Long Black Veil, Dig Below, Air Between Us

    John Butler Trio: Wade In The Water, Better Than, Tahitian Blue, Betterman, Just Call, Blame It On Me, Coffee Methadone and Cigarettes, What You Want, Pickapart, Ocean, Ragged Mike, Miss Your Love, Don’t Wanna, Livin’ In The City,

    Encore: Losing You (Featuring Mama Kin), We Want More, Zebra

  • Benefit Show for Albany’s Sirsy at The Bitter End in NYC July 18

    Albany’s powerful indie-rock duo Sirsy (Melanie Krahmer/Rich Libutti) has been a workhorse of the local music scene since the early 2000s, bringing their music on tour nation-wide.

    This Wednesday, July 19, The Bitter End in downtown Manhattan is hosting a benefit show for Sirsy, whose singer/drummer Melanie Krahmer is currently undergoing cancer treatment.sirsy

    The benefit show will feature a reunion set with former members of Lez Zeppelin – Lisa Brigantino, Gus aka Destroy and Sarah McLellan with Tomi Millioto for a set of Zeppelin tunes. The show will also include an acoustic set from Lisa & Lori Brigantino as well as raffles and prizes.

    As regular touring is Sirsy’s livelihood and the band had to take a break from a west coast tour, 100% of the proceeds will go to help the band. Tickets are $30 in advance/$35 at the door. Doors are at 6:30, show runs from 7:00pm to 9:00pm. The show is an all ages show, with those under 18 attending with a parent or guardian. Advance tickets can be purchased here: https://sirsymusicbenefit.brownpapertickets.com/

    Anyone who has seen Sirsy at either an outdoor family-friendly concert or in clubs knows the energy and enthusiasm the band put in each and every show.

  • Sister Sparrow Announces New Album and Supporting Tour

    Brooklyn’s Sister Sparrow has announced the release of the new album GOLD. The album arrives at all music retailers and streaming services via Thirty Tigers on Friday, Oct. 12th.

    Sister Sparrow New Album
    Photo courtesy of Sister Sparrow’s website.

    The album’s first single, “Ghost,” is set to release Friday, Aug. 3. In addition to this, Sister Sparrow will also be celebrating the new LP with a major U.S. tour, joined as always by her extraordinary brass-fueled combo, the Dirty Birds.

    GOLD is produced and co-written in collaboration with Carter Matschullat (Chef’Special, Secret Weapons) at Brooklyn’s DØØM Studio. The LP takes the classic Dirty Birds sound and turns it into something altogether new, a soul-blasted contemporary pop approach supremely suited for Kincheloe’s immense voice.

    “The GOLD Tour” begins August 30 in Athens, then travels the country through early December. The tour will include a performance with Nathaniel Rateliff and The Night Sweats on Sept. 15 at Thompson’s Point in Portland, Maine. Additional dates will be unveiled soon.

    For more information please visit Sister Sparrow’s website.

    The GOLD Tour:

    Aug. 30 – Athens Summer Concert Series – Athens, NY
    Aug. 31 – Levitt Pavilion Steelstacks – Bethlehem, PA
    Sept. 1 – Blues, Views And BBQ – Westport, CT
    Sept. 14 – Harvest Jazz & Blues Festival – Fredericton, NB
    Sept. 15 – Thompson’s Point (w/ Nathaniel Rateliff and The Night Sweats) – Portland, ME
    Sept. 16 – Grand Point North Festival – Burlington, VT
    Sept. 21 – Westcott Theater – Syracuse, NY
    Sept. 22 – Borderland Music and Arts Festival – East Aurora, NY
    Oct. 31 – Lincoln Hall – Chicago, IL
    Nov. 1 – Founders Brewing Co.Grand – Rapids, MI
    Nov. 2 – Otus Supply – Parliament Room- Ferndale, MI
    Nov. 3 – Mr. Small’s Theatre – Millvale, PA
    Nov. 8 – Infinity Music Hall Hartford – Hartford, CT
    Nov. 9 – Theatre Of Living Arts – Philadelphia, PA
    Nov. 10 – Swyer Theatre, Empire Center At The Egg – Albany, NY
    Nov. 15 – Brighton Music Hall – Allston, MA
    Nov. 29 – 9:30 Club – Washington DC
    Dec. 1 – Irving Plaza – New York, NY
    Dec. 5 – Teragram Ballroom – Los Angeles, CA
    Dec. 6 – The Independent – San Francisco, CA

  • Tedeschi Trucks Band Breathes Soul into Midsummer Sunset at CMAC

    Tedeschi Trucks Tuesday is the new unofficial title of the Wheels of Soul Tour, as every NY performance has fallen on this humble day of the week. July 10 ushered Tedeschi Trucks Band along with support from Drive-By Truckers and The Marcus King Band to the foothills of Canandaigua wine country. At CMAC guests can purchase full bottles of wine which the attendant will unceremoniously dump into the biggest plastic to-go cup imaginable. It’s nearly impossible to resist a $16 bottle of blackberry “merlot” until you realize it’s only 6% alcohol and tastes like sugar water with a fruity afterthought.

    Never again.

    This regrettable beverage purchase was the only minor downfall of the night. Having never attended CMAC or a TTB show before, eager anticipation permeated the atmosphere. TTB’s wide appeal drew a charming audience of young and old faces. The bands mirrored this age spectrum, as Marcus King himself is newer to the scene at only 22. Yet his band was a fitting choice to open the night, as they eased fans in with their blues rock style garnished with King’s distinctive howling vocals for a heavier sound. He invited Derek Trucks to the stage for a tune which would be reciprocated later when TTB performed.

    Drive-By Truckers offered more pop rock inclinations with a lighter demeanor. Nothing about their set particularly stood out, but it flowed nicely overall. Once TTB took the stage, the crowd erupted in cheers, electrifying the air with excitement. Their music is what love sounds like. It’s nearly impossible to describe without being cheesy. It massages the ears and makes the heart flutter. Susan Tedeschi’s voice and Derek Truck’s guitar playing are the perfect marriage. Susan took a moment to address the crowd exclaiming, “It’s been really special. We actually paddle boarded on your lake yesterday.” Imagine splashing around in Canandaigua Lake and seeing Susan Tedeschi the queen herself paddling past. Play it cool though.

    The only noticeable hiccup in their set came from the sax player when he went a little too avant garde during his complicated solo, making it too hectic to enjoy. But towards the end of the set the entire horn section rallied with the rest of the band conjuring an intensely energetic dance experience that temporarily transported the crowd to the jazzy streets of New Orleans.

    Tedeschi Trucks Band hemorrhages emotion through delicate instrumentation, momentum building solos and gripping lyrics. The unwavering strength in Susan Tedeschi’s voice could stand alone as something to see live, but the supergroup she is a part of does justice to every band member to create a musical experience that leaves the crowd in awe.

    Stay tuned for a review from their July 17 performance at Artpark in Lewiston!

    Setlist: Keep on Growing, Laugh about it, Just as Strange, Don’t Know What it Means, Shame, Midnight in Harlem, Down in the Flood, Show Me, Let Me Get By, Going Going Gone, Rockin’ in the Free World

    Encore: I Want More/In Memory of Elizabeth Reed

  • Max Weinberg’s Jukebox Brings Rock and Roll Party to Paramount Hudson Valley

    One of rock and roll’s steadiest drummers from Springsteen’s E Street Band and former Late Night and Tonight Show bandleader brought a unique show to the Paramount in Peekskill on June 8, with the tour being billed as Max Weinberg’s Jukebox. No quarters or record-flipping were required for this all-request live show.

    With Bruce Springsteen currently active on Broadway with his residency at the Walter Kerr Theatre through December 2018, Max Weinberg made well with the down-time from the E Street Band’s touring schedule to put on a tour where the audience picks the setlist each night from a roster of 200+ songs from rock and roll history.

    Given that, it might appear to be just another mediocre cover band show but after just a couple of songs that illusion was broken. The familiarity of the tunes in the setlist was a quick grab for the crowd while Weinberg’s character and reputation as an excellent drummer (and the talent of the rest of his band) brought the audience in close to the music. For those familiar with Weinberg’s time as Conan O’Brien’s late night TV musical sidekick, plenty of his on-camera humor had shown through during some dialogue between songs while being quite down to earth.

    The live-request show format was definitely unique for a concert, especially for someone who’s been a major name in the business during a lengthy career. The Beatles and Bruce Springsteen seemed to be favorites of the crowd that night with a few songs from each making their way on stage from requests. In proper fashion, Weinberg closed the show with two Springsteen tunes, “Promised Land” and “Glory Days,” inviting anyone from the audience on stage for the final song to sing along.

    Until Max Weinberg’s Jukebox (hopefully) rolls back through the Hudson Valley, he’ll be making plenty of stops between Atlantic City, NJ, Long Island, and Ridgefield, CT.

    Setlist: She Loves You, Fortunate Son, American Girl, I Wanna Be Sedated, The Weight, Honky Tonk Nights, (And Your Bird Can Sing, White Room, Friday On My Mind, Pink Cadillac, I’m A Believer, Highway To Hell, All Right Now, Rebel Rebel, While My Guitar Gently Weeps, Little Elvis, I Walk The Line, I Can See For Miles, Wipeout, A Summer Song, Pretty Woman

    Encore: Promised Land, Glory Days

  • Two Reasons to Celebrate Vans Warped Tour Final Year

    On November 15, 2017, founder Kevin Lyman shared that after 23 amazing summers of music, Vans Warped Tour would celebrate its final run in the summer of 2018. Making up for the upsetting news was the release of this summer’s diverse lineup, featuring bands from the electronic duo 3OH!3 to folk singer-songwriter Frank Turner, the charismatic members of popular Canadian rock band Simple Plan, to the abrasive metalcore of August Burns Red, with so much more sprinkled in.

    While Vans holds the top seat as the festival’s primary sponsor (hence the festival’s name change), several other sponsors will be hosting multiple stages on the tour, including Journey’s (who will host a ‘Right Foot’ and ‘Left Foot’ stage), Monster (with a cleverly named ‘Mutant Red Dawn’ and ‘Mutant White Lightning’ stage, named after the ultra-caffeinated energy drinks), owly.fm and Full Sail University (to stage some up-and-coming bands). The tour is already underway, making stops in Camden, NJ this Friday, followed by Holmdel, NJ on Saturday, then Hartford, Connecticut this Sunday. The tour will also make a stop at the Darien Center in New York on July 25, and Jones Beach Ampitheatre on July 28. In celebration of it’s 23-year legacy, here are two reasons why Vans Warped Tour stands out as one of the most impressive touring festivals of its era.

    1 – From start to stardom, Vans Warped Tour has introduced us to some of our favorite bands.

    Since its first run in 1995, many bands have Warped Tour to thank for their rise to popularity. Avenged Sevenfold, Fall Out Boy, and Paramore are a few of the many bands that played the Warped Tour stage early in their careers, and continued to play each year in the early 2000s as their repertoire expanded. A prime example of the festival’s impact is Baltimore-based band All Time Low, who played a small stage at Warped back in 2007. Shortly after, the band released their second studio album So Wrong, It’s Right, which caught a wave of fans and charted number 6 on the Independent Albums chart in the US. The band went on to headline the festival in the following years, even topping the lineup list for this year’s fest.

    The festival always had punk rock at heart, but shed some light on other genres, hosting Limp Bizkit in 1997, the Black Eyed Peas in 1999, and Katy Perry in 2008. The festival organizers adapted to the evolving popular music scene while remaining true to their roots, and the massive following that ensued placed Warped Tour as the largest traveling music festival in the United States.

    2 – There’s nothing quite like the Warped Tour experience.

    Walking around the grounds of the fest is a treat alone. The outcasts of the everyday find sanctuary in a crowd of like-minded cohorts at Warped Tour. Goths, skaters, and punks alike flock to the stages to dance, mosh, or whatever feels right for them. This space is theirs and free of judgement, which fosters a unique and enticing crowd experience for a first-timer. The festival takes great pride in activism, drawing attention to important causes as well, from suicide prevention to breast cancer awareness. Patrons who donate to these causes can get special interactions with artists and receive signed gear, only to further awareness among the festival. You can even get express entry to this year’s fest by donating three cans of food or $5 to Feed Our Children NOW.

    Music education also plays a key role in the festival, with free lessons often offered to concert-goers. In past years, the John Lennon Bus has also set up shop at the fest, which holds a mini studio for younger attendees to interact with music in a reclusive setting. When attendees need a break from the scores of performances scheduled for the day, there are so many experiences to take in, and you’ll never know what (or even who!) you might find around the festival grounds.

    A bittersweet heaviness will follow each attendee at the festival’s last return this summer, but the nostalgic lineup and all-encompassing experience will be sure to bring great enthusiasm in honor of a successful 23-year run. Be sure to get your tickets for this weekend’s festivities and the tour’s future stops on the Vans Warped Tour site. The remaining dates can be found there as well in case you’re beyond the tri-state area. For the full artist lineup and more info, head to the Vans Warped Tour artist page and info page, and be sure to follow the latest happenings on Facebook. We’ll see you on tour!

  • Calliope Musicals to Perform Two Nights at Funk ‘n Waffles

    Calliope Musicals are hitting the road for their Stray Cats Tour and their first two stops are in Rochester on July 25 and Syracuse on July 26 at Funk ‘n Waffles locations.

    Photo courtesy of Calliope Musicals website.

    Calliope Musicals has a pop-rockesque vibe and can captivate an audience. The band is from Austin, TX and is made up of six members. Carrie Fussell on lead vocals and guitar, Craig Finkelstein on vibraphone and vocals, Josh Bickley on drums and vocals, Andrew Vizzone on bass and vocals, Jerry Sparkman on confetti cat, and Joe Cannariato on lead guitar and vocals.

    For their Rochester show, they are joined by special guest Stationary Escape Pod and the show starts at 8:00 p.m. and is an 18 and up show with a $7 cover.

    For their Syracuse show, they are joined by special guest Pet Cheetah. The show starts at 9:00 p.m. and is also an 18 and up show with a cover of $5 in advance or $7 at the door. Tickets for both shows can be purchased in advance through TicketWeb.

    The collective will also perform in New York City at Bowery Electric on July 27.

    For more information on Calliope Musicals be sure to check out their website.

  • Hochstein at High Falls Offers Free Lunchtime Concerts in Rochester

    Hochstein School of Music and Dance continues its tradition of afternoon concerts this summer. This summer’s lineup includes music by Watkins & The Rapiers, Hanna & The Blue Hearts, Mambo Kings, Hypnotic Clambake, Crooked North Duo, and Genesee Johnny.

    The free performances are held at Granite Mills Park in the High Falls District at noon on Thursdays through August 16. Food is available to purchase from a variety of vendors. Visit the Hochstein School of Music and Dance website for more information.

    2018 Hochstein at High Falls:
    July 12 – Watkins & the Rapiers
    July 19 – Hanna & the Blue Hearts
    July 26 – Mambo Kings
    August 2 – Hypnotic Clambake
    August 9 – Crooked North Duo
    August 16 – Genesee Johnny

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